This section provides background information related to present disclosure and may not necessarily be in present art.
People enjoy relaxing in the comfort of a chair that rocks or glides in a reciprocatory motion. The motion may have a soothing effect and lend to put the occupant of the chair to sleep. However, the chair needs propelling in some manner. The propulsion is usually accomplished by the occupant of the chair pushing on the floor with his or her legs and feet, while sitting thereon. After a period of time, the occupant of the chair usually stops pushing due to exhaustion or falling asleep. To continue the reciprocatory motion, the occupant of the chair may have to resume with their feet, which prevents the occupant of the chair from sleeping in the chair, or make other arrangements.
There has been a long recognized need to allow an individual to rock in a reclined position with their legs and feet elevated on the leg rest or ottoman. This position also allows the occupant of the chair to sleep more comfortably in the chair. This popular position, being the more comfortable, will not allow the feet of the occupant of the chair to come in contact with the floor surface for propulsion.
Additionally, the present art of a reclining rocking chairs with a leg rest has two frames. One is the frames is the base of the chair with feet and the other is the frame of the seat of the chair that rocks on top of the frame of the base of the chair. This present art has a pawl and ratchet latching mechanism that latches when the leg rest is extended to hold the position of the frame of the seat of the chair to the frame of the base of the chair to prevent the chair from tilting too far forward, while over balanced. This latching also prevents the chair from any rocking motion and restricts the occupant of the chair from manually or powered rocking the chair.
Heretofore, such present art has suffered from several deficiencies. Specifically, present art does not address the problem of balancing the rocking chair when the occupant sits on it before the motor drive engages to create the rocking motion. Also the motion cycle should be balanced with the balance of the chair to equal a balanced system. When using a powered rocker system with a rotary or linear motion drive, the chair should be balance in the middle of the motion cycle before beginning the rocking motion. The middle of the motion cycle is the middle between the maximum and minimum length of the stroke for linear motion and the middle of the maximum and minimum height of the motor arm of the rotary cycle. The engaging position for the motor drive will vary depending on the weight of the occupant of the chair and how far backward or forward the occupant of the chair leans when sitting.
Some present art have a locking system for the motor drive linkage that use a solenoid, which uses continual electrical powered to keep the motor drive locked while the motorized rocking mechanism is in use. This continual electrical powered use may cause a heat build up and some safety problems. Some of these mechanisms of the present art having a locking system in the motor drive linkage using a solenoid, which uses continual electrical powered to keep the rotational motor drive locked while the motorized rocking mechanism is in use have been provided, as disclosed in US Patent No. 2011/0248535 A1.
Another deficiency is a rocking mechanisms having a locking motor drive that restricts the rocking distance of the chair while in manual rocking, due to the crank and drive shaft interference in the mechanism. This said mechanism may need to be disconnected from the frame of the chair while rocking manually. Some of these rocking mechanisms of the present art having a locking motor drive that restricts the rocking distance of the chair, while in manual rocking, due to the crank and drive shaft interference in the mechanism have been provided, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,019,052.
Some present art uses a rotation motion cycle to power a linear motion cycle for the motor drive movement to create the rocking motion of the chair. One of the most comforting motions for the occupant of the chair is a constant, uninterrupted and smooth rocking and reciprocatory motion which this linear motion will not produce. The linear movement travels to and from a single start point on the motion cycle in a straight line. The motion has two start and stop points in the cycle, with an abrupt transition in change of direction. This causes a jerking and interruptive movement in the motion cycle as the means to rock the chair. Some of these chairs use springs to attempt to absorb or eliminate the shock in the sudden start and stop of the linear motion. But the springs actually create the same jerking and interruptive motion problem they are attempting to resolve, by compressing and expanding in the motion cycle. Some of these mechanisms of the present art having the springs and linear motion have been provided, as disclosed in US Patent No. 2011/0248535 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,529.
Some present art uses a striking and release contact method of rocking, which strikes a fixed object and then releases to let gravity finish the motion cycle. This also has an interruptive motion and causes jerking in the motion cycle. Some of these mechanisms of the present art having a striking contact and release method have been provided, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,537,285 B2, U.S. Pat. No. 3,886,608 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,775,184. All of these methods have a jerking and interrupting motion for the rocking cycle, which is uncomfortable to the occupant of the chair.
The glider rocker may use a gliding ottoman to rest the legs and feet of the occupant of the chair and also does not allow the feet of the occupant of the chair to come in contact with the floor surface for propulsion. The occupant of the chair can not manually rock the chair in this relaxed position.
A rocking crib is designed to rock when someone is manually pushing it with their hands or such. This manual rocking is very tiring for the operator. A person might like to rock the baby in the crib and also relax or perform other tasks at the same time.
Another deficiency of the present art is a motorized rocking mechanism restricts the movement of the manual rocking of the rocking chair. The mechanism can not revert from powered rocking back to manual rocking without disconnecting the driving mechanism from the frame of the chair or not allowing the chair to rock manually. The changing from manual to powered rocking is not automatic and becomes very inconvenient for the occupant of the chair.
The inventive art attempts to resolve the outlined deficiencies in the present art. Other objects, features, advantages and benefits of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.